Monday was a rare day for Bob Giesler, in his 28th year as store director of Port Townsend’s Safeway grocery store.

He was at work, but did not have to work, as his coworkers had arranged the schedule so he could simply shake hands and kiss babies (well, at least his fifth and newest grandchild) in recognition of his upcoming retirement.

Giesler’s last day at Safeway is Friday, Dec. 23.

“He has been a great boss,” said Paula McDonald, who retired a few weeks ago after 39 years as a union employee at Safeway. “He made it more of a family than just coming to work in a store.”

Giesler was 26 in 1978 when he became a Safeway checker in Kirkland, Washington. Sally, a woman he had met and married and who had worked six years for the grocery company, influenced his job decision.

Ten years later, he was transferred to manage the Port Townsend store.

“We came here with the idea to stay a couple of years,” Giesler said of moving to Port Townsend. “It just became home. Every time some other [store opportunity] would come up, I would just say no.”

Port Townsend Safeway is the largest retail operation in Jefferson County, both in size, at 56,000 square feet, and product sales. The operation has 160 employees, counting the Fast Shop fuel station and mini mart, Giesler said.

In Port Townsend, he’s been through eight remodeling projects and literally thousands of employees.

Bret Podnar, district manager, has known Giesler for 10 years and worked with him for five years. Being store director in one place for 28 years “is almost unheard of in our industry.”

Last week, the district’s store directors had a lunch to celebrate Giesler, and five of those people had been his coworkers.

“He has coached and mentored a lot of people within Safeway,” Podnar said. “His legacy will live on with all the people who have run through his store that he has coached. He is quite a guy.”

Giesler’s community efforts have not gone unnoticed. He was a Citizen of the Year in 1994, a Business Leader of the Year nominee in 2006, and has been strongly supportive of school programs, Special Olympics and the Rhododendron Festival, to name a few.

“Bob Giesler can always be relied on to wholeheartedly support community organizations, whether it’s through sponsorship of programs, cash and in-kind donations from the store or allowing nonprofits to sell for fundraising at the store,” said Melanie Bozak, who has been a leader with the Kiwanis Club and Rhododendron Festival. “He’s a very generous and caring person.”

Podnar noted that Giesler “has more leeway” than most store directors in community outreach decisions. “Every store director has that ability, but Bob’s relationship with the community is probably more involved than most.”

Giesler noted that he has left a detailed letter for his replacement so it’s clear what community groups and clubs receive what, and when. Podnar echoed that the level of community support Giesler established is expected to continue.

In 2007, Giesler went to bat with his superiors to get Pane d’Amore bread in the store, following his efforts to bring in locally made Hometown Spice, Port Townsend Brewing Co., FairWinds Winery, organic lettuce and organic salad mix.

When it comes to memorable moments, Giesler recalled the winter day in 1991 when it snowed 18 inches in about a day, followed by rain. He was in Safeway’s upstairs office when he realized the building’s roof was sagging.

During a storm in December 2008, his store ran out of produce, and there were an estimated 8,000 customers.

Typically, Thanksgiving is the store’s busiest time, while sales ahead of Fourth of July are a close second place, Giesler noted.

Now, he’s made the choice to retire. Years of standing on a concrete floor took a toll on his left knee, which he had replaced a few months ago. He noted that Sally, who retired two years ago after 41 years with Safeway, has a long list of home improvement projects.

“We’re going to travel, but we’ll stay in Port Townsend,” he noted. “This is home. This is our community.”

A new store director is expected on staff by Jan. 7.